


Howl of Defiance

by Zhavyna



Category: Final Fantasy XV: Kingsglaive
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Kingsglaive: Final Fantasy XV (2016), Kingsglaive: Final Fantasy XV Spoilers, Lost in Eos, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Slow Build
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-19
Updated: 2021-04-18
Packaged: 2021-04-25 14:41:42
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,313
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22311541
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zhavyna/pseuds/Zhavyna
Summary: Having lost everything in life, Kathryn has to live with a new reality that she's alone.Or rather, in a new reality, as she finds herself in a different world then Earth.To complicate matters, she soon discovers that this new world isn't the peaceful afterlife she would perhaps have preferred and as she starts to rebuilt her life, she finds herself in a struggle to survive.The more she learns, the more she realizes that survival might very well rest in information she learned in the past without paying attention to it then.As her past influences her future, Kathryn knows she has to take a stand to hold on to what she has, even if that means defying Gods.
Relationships: Crowe Altius & Original Female Character(s), Nyx Ulric/Original Female Character(s)
Kudos: 5





	1. Prologue

The rain that had been threatening to fall all day started to come down as the day drew to a close, speeding up the darkening of the city as afternoon passed to evening and most people were hurrying home from work. Overhead, thunder rumbled following the lightning that send a rippling light across the magical dome that spanned the city.  
While the thick clouds above the city made it seem like it was already night, Insomnia was a city that was never really silent or slept. As the darkness descended, the lights came on and bathed the streets in their soft glow or illuminated the windows of homes and offices alike, giving their occupants the necessary light to continue whatever activity they were conducting. Those that didn’t have the luxury of being inside when the weather took a turn for the worst could do nothing more than hurry home and hope they wouldn’t be soaked to the bone by the time they arrived there.

Some of those unfortunate souls were still outside, silently gesturing one another a good night and until tomorrow as they pulled up the collars of their coats and each of them made their own way home, thankful that they hadn’t pulled the nightshift in this weather.  
Heavy boots fell against the wet pavement as one of them walked on, trying to ignore the rain that dripped into his collar, no matter what he tried to do to prevent it. The rain was soaking into his black coat and the only thing that would really avoid him getting drenched on his way home would be a car, which he couldn’t afford. Pulling the door of his apartment closed behind him never seemed so inviting.  
Like most others that were still on the street, there was nothing to do but hurry home and try to avoid getting too wet. That also meant staying away from the side of the roads as much as possible to avoid being sprayed by passing cars. Easier said than done, when you had to cross several busy streets and drivers weren’t really paying attention to what happened outside their little piece of the world inside of their cars. As long as they got home without accidents, they didn’t care about the others on their way there.

Nearing one of those roads, his attention was pulled by the sound of a car horn followed by tires screeching as they narrowly avoided a dark figure that seemed to have wandered too far off the side-walk. The first thing that came to mind was that it was no doubt some youth who had been too occupied by their cell phone to notice where they were going, but when he noticed how unsteady the figure stood on its feet, a slight frown formed and he stepped closer to have a look.  
A clearly soaking wet figure stood at the side of the road, just off the side-walk. Even in the dim light, there was no mistaking it for a man. Her long hair was plastered against her face, her arms wrapped around her body in a vain attempt to keep warm. The pained looked on her face clearly showed that she was struggling with something, yet when she looked up, her eyes didn’t seem to see anything, their expression blank and filled with pain.  
Instinct urged him to get closer to her and see what was going on. Even in the pouring rain, there was no excuse to let somebody fend for themselves if they were clearly out of their element and in need of a helping hand. Taking a moment to see if the road was as clear and safe as it would get, he stepped closer.

“Everything okay?” He asked, placing a hand on her shoulder, which she immediately tried to get away from as if the touch caused her pain, causing him to mumble an apology before continuing. “Sorry… You better get off the road.”  
When she heard his words, she looked up, but the look in her eyes stayed just as pained and distant as before. Still she took a step forward, uncertain and unsteady as if she was sleepwalking. It made her sway and the only thing preventing her from toppling over was the pair of hands that caught her by her arms. There was a painful groan in response, before she nearly collapsed.  
The frown in the man’s face grew larger and worry crossed his eyes. No matter who she was, she was clearly not alright. Some old instinct made him place his hand on her forehead, a gesture that almost seemed to have been lost in the past when times were happier. His fingers met with warm skin that even the rain couldn’t cool down. She was burning up.  
“It’s alright, I got you.” As his gesture was met with another soft moan, he gently pulled her closer with one hand while fishing his phone out of his pocket with the other one. A moment later, he had dialled a number and waited for a response.

“I need a favour.” As soon as the other side of the conversation picked up, he fired the four words, not even thinking about the pleasantries. The response to his words drew a small grin around his lips and a soft chuckle. “I’m on my way. I’ll explain when I get there.” There were some more words spoken on the other side of the line before he hung up and put the phone away.  
“I’m sorry if this hurts.” Having read the reactions of the woman, the man already apologised before picking her up, one arm below her knees, the other behind her back and pulling her closer. Her only reaction was a soft groan as her head fell against his shoulder, clearly too much out of this world to really be able to react to his words or actions.  
With a last worried look down, the man set of again, trying to be as gentle as possible while the rain continued to come down around them and the night grew ever darker.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, finally found the guts to start posting this, even if I'm already working on it for far too long without ever finishing it.  
Feedback is very much appreciated, but please keep in mind: this is my first time posting something like EVER and English isn't my first language. Otherwise, I'm pretty much open for constructive critique.


	2. The End

Around the house, the elements were clashing with each other and it was hard to decide which one was winning. The wind, howling around the place as if it was determined to blow the structure away, or the rain, battering down on everything between the sky and the earth, drenching the whole place and seemingly making it its mission to flood the streets. But no matter how good of an effort both wind and rain made, they were unable to drown out the silence that hung inside the house.  
It wasn’t for a lack of trying from the weather outside, nor from the television that was turned on with nobody really watching it that the house felt silent. The turned-on lights betrayed that there was somebody home, but that didn’t change much about the whole situation. No words were spoken, no humming along with the radio while dinner was prepared or cursing when something went wrong. Only the soft occasional sobbing as the movie of the past few days kept playing on repeat for the mind’s eye.  
  
  
_ The weather had been unruly for the past couple of weeks now, with one storm blowing in after another. It was a small miracle that there hadn’t been any major problems yet, though it was never pleasant when trees got uprooted and blocked roads or rooftiles blew away.  
__ Much to the dismay of her best friend, Kathryn had found it the perfect weather to go out for a couple of runs, her brother Alex tagging along just for the fun if it. They would come home, thoroughly blow out, cheeks and noses red from the cold, out of breath but in good spirits from the physical exercise. By then, Dakota would have prepared dinner to feed the two hungry wolves before all three of them would spend the rest of the evening giving a running commentary to whatever was on the television.  
  
__ The week passed as hectic as it could, trying it’s best to drive all three of them nuts. Work had tried to swamp them, aided by the plumbing of the house they shared when a pipe burst halfway the week and almost flooded the place. Curses were uttered, but the only thing that could really vent some steam was going either for a run or going in for some training. By the time Friday rolled around, all three of them were ready for the weekend to relax a little and calm down. At least, that was the plan, until a reminder in Dakota’s phone alerted her that there was a party she needed to go to.  
  
__ “Don’t tell me that is this week.” With a groan, she sank on a chair next to the kitchen table.  
__ “If it’s a new year’s party, they can’t have it at the end of the year.” Kathryn remarked back, while looking for something edible in the fridge.  
__ “It is, but I had completely forgotten it was this week.” For a moment, Dakota had half a mind to just call in sick for it. “I really don’t feel like going.”  
__ “You just don’t want to be stuck with your boss for a whole evening you mean.” With a soft chuckle, Kathryn looked up, balancing several items of food in her arms. “There isn’t a plus one on the invitation by any chance?”  
__ “There is. Fancy going with me?” Dakota gave her a grin, even though her best friend shook her head.  
__ “No, you take my brother with you. He’ll find a way to keep your mind of the boring things.” There was something in her voice that betrayed she knew which plans Alex could have to keep things interesting.  
__ “You have one naughty mind, my dear…” There was a soft chuckle as the true meaning of the words were understood.  
__ “Not really, I just enjoy making naughty plans.” Kathryn flashed a grin back, as she dumped the food on the counter to make herself something to eat. “Besides, like you wouldn’t think of something naughty to do to pass the time there. And you know, if I don’t think of plans like those, you can bet your money that Alex will.”  
__ “You two are just unbelievable, you know that, right?”  
__ “That’s what makes us such good friends.” With a hearty chuckle, Kathryn set her mind to some dinner, even though Dakota was the one who usually prepared it.  
__ “Try not to poison us with your dinner, if you please.”  
__ “I’ll try, but look at it on the bright side, if you are poisoned, you won’t have to go to that party.” With the necessary noise, Kathryn pulled the pots and pans from the cupboard and started running water to clean the vegetables.  
__ “True, though I rather prefer to stay healthy, no matter of it would be the perfect excuse so that I won’t have to go.” Dakota stayed perched on her chair nearby, as if she wanted to keep an eye on her kitchen in case somebody tried to set it on fire, or worse.  
  
__ Preparing dinner continued with the usual banter and updates on how their days had been. Mostly, that meant gossiping about their coworkers, Dakota trying her best to convince Kathryn that she needed to just go for it if she wanted to hook that hot co-worker she had been eyeing for weeks now and Kathryn teasing Dakota about her upcoming wedding to Alex and the fact that she’s been stressing out over all the details that still had to be arranged.  
__ By the time dinner was ready, Alex was home as well and they could put their feet under the table and eat. It wasn’t too hard to imagine that the subject of the party was brought up again, with the accompanying banter of course and Alex was all but guilted in going with Dakota. Lucky for the man, he could turn up in just a suit and could leave his uniform at home. The girls couldn’t help but remark that he was well trained in obeying orders and that they should perhaps take an example from his superiors.  
  
__ “Be careful with remarks like that, who knows when there will be an uprising against the higher-ups.” Alex gave them both a meaningful look, before starting on the dishes.  
__ “Sure. And we have to believe that?” Kathryn raised an eyebrow in question.  
__ “If you don’t believe it, little sister, I’m sure I can come up with something else that you will believe.”  
__ “That’s what you’ve been trying to do since I was 5 Alex. I wasn’t working then, it won’t work now.”  
__ “At least you can’t say he doesn’t give it his all, Kat.” Dakota chimed in, in support of her best friend rather than her fiancée.  
__ “No, he’s rather tenacious if he wants to be, that’s true.” Kathryn gave her best friend a grin back.  
__ “I can hear you ladies…” A voice sounded from the sink where the owner was doing the dishes.  
__ “We know. Now be a good soldier and clean those, will you?” Kathryn spoke back, with an almost sickening sweet smile.  
__ “You’ll pay for that, sis.”  
__ “Bring it, big boy. You know I can take you.”  
__ “Keep it civil you two. This isn’t a battlefield.” Dakota tried to break up the two bickering siblings.  
__ “Not yet. Wait until your wedding day comes closer.” Kathryn couldn’t help but defend herself. “You’ll turn it into a battlefield.”  
__ “I’m not going to be a bridezilla.” Dakota pouted.  
__ “You’ll be the biggest one there has ever been.”  
__ “Will not…”  
__ “Will be for sure…”  
__ “Girls…”  
  
  
_ It was like that round of friendly bickering was the last happy moment in the world. As if there wouldn’t be a happy moment after that. Looking back, for Kathryn it feels like after that evening, the world had stopped spinning, even though the next day had started so normal.  
  
  
_ The wind was blowing a little less than the days before, the sky was clear. Saturday started with the usual chores like laundry and some cleaning of the house, spearheaded by Dakota, as Kathryn wasn’t a morning person and Alex rather stayed away from her when she went into what he called ‘Domestic Mode’. Once she really got up to steam, Alex kicked his sister out of her bed to go for a run, the only way to escape the Demon wandering around the house, trying to stare them to death of they dared to move and make her freshly cleaned floors dirty again.   
  
As the afternoon rolled around, there was the unavoidable challenge for Dakota to find something to wear for the party. Almost an hour into the ordeal, Kathryn threw in the towel, knowing that this could go on for another couple of hours if things went well that was. Worst case, Dakota would threaten to go naked and Alex would come to the rescue with some soothing words and a solution to her wardrobe problem.   
“I’m off.” With those meaningful words, Kathryn rose from the bed.   
“Where are you going? You were going to help me with choosing something to wear.” Dakota looked like a deer caught in the headlights.   
“I’m going to get some training in.” Kathryn declared. “Besides, it doesn’t matter what you choose to wear, you would look good in a trash bag, so stop fussing over it so much.”  
“That doesn’t mean I don’t want your opinion on my choice.” The rising stress was audible in her voice.   
“Dakota, I’m sure you will find something very pretty to wear and no matter what it is, you have my approval.” Kathryn pulled her into a hug attempting to calm her a little down. “Try to have some fun tonight and keep it safe, okay?”   
“But but…” Dakota stuttered for a moment, before returning the hug. “Not yet ready to become an aunt huh? It will happen rather sooner than later, I think. I won’t wait until I’m old and grey to have kids you know.”   
“I know, but not yet. First, let’s try to survive your wedding, okay?” Kathryn shuddered at the thought of how stressed her best friend would get over that party. She already said a silent prayer that at least her brother would keep somewhat of a cool head, otherwise, she would go nuts with the both stressing out.   
“Sssst, don’t invite trouble.” Dakota’s grip tightened for a moment. “Enjoy the exercise.”   
“I will.” Kathryn let go and stepped back. “See you in the morning I guess, or whenever you two decide to get out of bed.”   
Giving Dakota a warm smile, she turned and stepped out of the room.  
“See you tomorrow.” Dakota called after her. “Love you!”   
“Love you too!”  
  
Somewhere halfway the night, after a heavy training, a warm shower and an evening on the couch with a movie she had barely seen, someone rang at the door. Frowning, Kathryn got up to open it, getting even more confused as she noticed the police car parked on the other side of the street.   
“Yes?” Clutching the large sweater around her, Kathryn cast a weary glance at the two officers in uniform that stood on the doorstep.   
“Miss Wolf?” The female of the duo asked, her voice holding a hint of something Kathryn couldn’t fully place.  
“That’s me. Did something happen?”   
“Can we come in for a moment please?” The female officer asked, only tightening the knot that was forming in Kathryn’s stomach.   
  
The world shifted under her feet in the following ten minutes before Kathryn sank back on the couch, sobbing with the female police officer trying to console her.   
Dakota and Alex had decided to come home early from the dinner, feeling like there was no reason to stay for the afterparty and having enough of her colleagues who had already drunk too much. On the way back, their car was hit by another driver, who was speeding and had ignored a red light. They hadn’t survived the following crash.   
_  
  
Without much energy, Kathryn rose from the couch and turned of the television. Her eyes were red from crying and it was only because she wore waterproof mascara that she hadn’t turned into a panda as well. The weather outside was unforgiving, but it perfectly reflected her inner turmoil and a small part of her wished that the wind and rain could just wash her away from the world and the pain of having to go on alone without anyone else in her life.   
Acted on automatic pilot, she pulled a dark coat from the rack and grabbed her purse before heading towards the garage and getting in her car. She knew that it was perhaps not the smartest thing to do know, go driving, but it was the only way she could get to the funeral. She owed that much to Alex and Dakota even if the latter’s family didn’t like her one bit. They were her brother and her best friend, soon to be sister-in-law, she couldn’t sit this one out.   
  
No matter how much she had wanted, Dakota’s parents had kept her at arm’s length for most of the preparations of the funeral. The only thing Kathryn could accomplish was that Dakota and Alex could be buried together. It wasn’t really the long and happy life they had wished for, but at least they would be together, wherever they were now. What should have been a wedding during the summer became a funeral in the winter.  
The drive there and the funeral itself were almost alike. A hostile environment, angry glares and a cold atmosphere. There was no comfort to be found in the Verheyden family and none of Kathryn’s own family were there. They were either all dead or estrange anyway, so there hadn’t really been a point in inviting them.   
  
The words spoken by Dakota’s relatives were just wind, as Kathryn’s thought dwelled on her own, happy memories from the past years. When they met for the first time in school after moving there. Kathryn the feisty daughter of a recently killed in action military man, Dakota part of a successful business family and far classier than the newcomer. Her brother sat a couple of classes higher and he nor Dakota really liked one another in the beginning.   
How Dakota had befriended her, despite the differences. How they formed the most unusual couple of friends that the school knew, but also the best. The way she comforted the siblings when their mother finally went over the deep end, having been unstable since the dead of their father years earlier. The three of them moving in together as they attended university and ultimately Dakota and Alex falling in love.   
  
Even long after the others had left and there was nobody around anymore, Kathryn stayed at the graveyard. The rain pounding down on the wooden coffins had been replaced by the soft patting of rain on freshly turned-up earth as the gravediggers closed the graves and left to find a dryer place to stay. An umbrella that was slowly getting soaked by the ever-falling rain the only thing that kept Kathryn more or less dry as she stared at the two temporary grave markers before her.   
It was har for her to decide what she wanted to do. She wanted to rage and scream, but against who? The speeding driver would get his punishment, but never what he really deserved. God, she loved the justice system at times for being totally inadequate to give the deserved punishments. On the other hand, she wanted to cry, but after the last days, her eyes felt dried out, tears no longer wanted to form, let alone fall across her cheeks.   
  
In the end, Kathryn did nothing. She just stood there, staring in front of her, as the night began to fall around her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, just a heads up, but updates will be irregular for now. Work hours are irregular and I need to find time between work and home to write (or hope for a calm day at work so that I can write there).   
Not to mention that this story is originally written by hand and has to be re-typed, not to mention that there are like 4 or 5 early drafts and I'm never really happy with what I write.
> 
> More will be coming (hopefully) soon and then we'll really dive into Eos, promise.
> 
> Also, I editted the Summary, as I was not happy with it (I know, own worst critics).


	3. Waking Up

Morning came under a surprisingly gentle sun for the time of year. As traffic slowly increased towards rush-hour, one would almost think that spring and eventually summer were close at hand, even if winter still reigned. The soft glow of the first rays of the days reflected on the tall buildings, warming the cold streets below and giving the citizens a welcome reprieve after the rain from the last couple of days. The swift moving clouds overhead were the only reminder of the dreadful weather that had all but drenched the city.   
With the reappearance of the sun and the passing of the rain, the city seemed to come alive once more. Vendors who had been hiding for the rain were busy putting their stalls up once again. Some were preparing to feed the hungry ones that were looking for a quick snack on the go once more while others prepared to barter their wares.  
In the surrounding buildings, occupants were starting their day or getting home from a night shift. Children were collared, clothed and fed to get to school. Adults were preparing breakfast or getting ready to get to work.   
  
  
A crack in the curtains was enough for the sunlight to softly tease Kathryn back to the waking world. The rays gentle and almost tickling in that way they use to do when announcing a new and beautiful day full of promise. It was the far more gentle way to wake up, compared to the blaring of an alarm clock and it allowed Kathryn to drift back from the depths of sleep feeling rested for the first time in days.   
It was one of those mornings where staying in bed felt almost mandatory to enjoy the rest of your day, taking the time to wake up and not worrying about having to hurry for whatever reason. Just taking those few extra minutes to fully wake up and start the day on a good note.  
It was to that effect that Kathryn didn’t immediately opened her eyes, instead opting for a leisurely stretch, feeling the stiffness from sleep leave her muscles, turning… And frowned.  
The bed underneath her creaked, but the sound of it was unfamiliar to her. Her own barely making as noise, even if she was so inclined to just drop on it without thinking. This one was making noises of protest at the slightest of movements as if it was old and warning whoever lay upon it that it would gave way at any moment if they moved too much.   
  
With some effort and another groan from the bed, Kathryn sat up, before rubbing the sleep from her eyes. Even the gentle awakening couldn’t disguise the fact that she was stiff from sleeping or was it from the less than ideal bed below her? Whatever was the culprit, it took some time to get her bearings and getting a better view of the room.  
Well, room was perhaps a bit much. It looked more like a glorified broom closet in size. Big enough for a bed and a clothing rack, but nothing more than that. When all was said and done, Kathryn was pretty sure this wasn’t her room. It was not even the house she lived in. That left the question where on Earth she had ended up and what had happened since she attended the funeral.   
Getting out of the bed was easier said than done. Despite stretching, every muscle seemed to protest the movement and when Kathryn put her feet on the ground and tried to rise, she was glad the bed was nearby as her legs seemed to buckle from under her.   
“Shit…” There was a soft curse as she barely kept upright. It wasn’t the most elegant way to get out of bed. And it had been a long time since she had felt this helpless.   
  
The stumbling and the curse seemed to have alerted someone in the other room, because when Kathryn looked up at the sound of the door opening, a woman looked back at her.  
“You’re awake.” Relief coloured her voice as a pair of dark brown eyes looked at her. “Just take it easy, you’ve been through hell.”   
“I… What?” Was all Kathryn could manage before she was gently helped back on the bed, the world spinning around her for a moment.   
“It’s okay.” The woman’s hands were warm, making a shrill contrast with the last memory that Kathryn had, the one of cold rain. “You have been racking up quite a fever. It’s good to see that you recovered.”   
“Fever?” Somehow, Kathryn drew a blank at that. She couldn’t remember getting sick.   
“A pretty high one.” There was a soft nod. “How are you feeling?”   
“Like I’ve been hit by a bus or something.” At least, it initially felt like that. “But on the other hand…”   
“What is it?”   
“It’s like every nerve in my body is sparking with electricity.” It sounded so strange when she said it, but it was the only way she could describe the tingling feeling.  
  
There was a moment of silence as two dark brown eyes regarded her, considering something before making a decision.   
Carefully, she pulled a small vial out of her pocket. Its content seemed to be a blue liquid that seemed to shimmer softly as it moved within the vessel.   
“Take this. It’ll help.” Her expression was carefully neutral. “It’s just a painkiller, nothing more.”  
“Thanks.” Somewhat hesitantly, Kathryn accepted the bottle, before pulling the stop of and giving the liquid a tentative sniff. “It stinks.”   
There was a soft chuckle. “Most good medicines do.”   
“Here goes nothing…” trying to ignore the little voice in the back of her head, Kathryn downed the vial. After all, why would you take care of someone who you don’t know before poisoning them? It didn’t make any sense.   
The liquid didn’t taste any better than it smelled. The only thing that struck her as odd, what the way it seemed to fizzle like sparkling water or soda, even without any kind of gas present in the liquid.   
“Good reminder of why I hate medicines.” Once the vial was empty, she made a face before replacing the stop and giving the bottle back. “Thanks, I guess.”   
“You’re welcome.” Mirth danced in the woman’s eyes. “I’m Crowe by the way. Introduction fell a bit on the wayside I believe.”  
“Kathryn and I believe they have.” She nodded softly, noticing that the stiffness of her muscles slowly disappeared. Slowly, she looked up at Crowe, feeling a little bit uncomfortable at the situation. “So, what now?”   
“Why don’t you go get a shower? In the meantime, I’m going to fetch some groceries and then we can talk.”   
“Sound reasonable. Though, I don’t want to be a bigger bother than I have been so far. You have already done so much for me.”   
“You’re no bother, don’t worry about it.” Smiling, Crowe got up and plucked the bundle of clothes from ground beside the door and passed them on. “I washed these. Your coat is also dry. And I put your phone and keys on the counter.”   
“Thanks.” The word felt way too small to cover the gratitude that Kathryn felt. “Did you happen to find a little velvet bag?”   
“It’s with your phone. I didn’t peak.”   
Kathryn let out a sigh of relief. It would have shattered her if she had lost that, but at least it was safe.   
“Come on. The sooner you get cleaned up, the sooner you can grab a bite.”   
  
  
Crowe led her out of the bedroom to a room that seemed to be both kitchen and living room. The space was, just like the bedroom, much smaller than Kathryn was used to, but it seemed to serve the owner just fine. In passing, she spotted a few customizations, but nothing much. It was as if the place was just meant as a room and a place to sleep and not really to be called a home.   
“Here you go. Take your time. I’ll be back in no more than half an hour.”   
With that, she left Kathryn in what had to be the bathroom. As she looked around, she couldn’t help but think that Dakota would describe this as a glorified wardrobe.   
The room was to the left of the bedroom and just big enough to fit a shower stall, a sink and a closed toilet. Given the lack of more surfaces, Kathryn put her clothes on the lid before turning open the water and giving a sigh of relief to feel that it warmed up in no time.   
As she turned towards the mirror above the sink, Kathryn was shocked to see how bad she looked. Her usual golden-amber eyes looked dull and were rimmed by dark circles. Her hair was a mess and more than urgently in need of a washing and her skin looked pale where she otherwise sported a healthy tan.   
Pulling the oversized shirt over her head, she was at least happy to see that she had kept her physique. Trained but not overly muscles, slight curves and those long legs that made Dakota green with envy.   
Resigning to the fact that it wouldn’t get any better by standing there, Kathryn got under the water for a good scrub. Perhaps it would help to clear up some of the issues that nagged at the back of her mind.  
  
  
  
“Almost done!” Kathryn called out as she heard the door of the apartment fall shut again.  
The bathroom door was just ajar to let out some of the steam while she was towelling down her hair. The greasy mess had been resolved and once it was dry, it would return to its dark auburn waves. “Do you have a brush somewhere?”   
“There’s one above the sink!” Crowe called back over the rustling of paper bags. “I hope you like spicy.”   
“I do!” Looking up from beneath the mass of hair, she spotted the thing and grabbed it before stepping out of the bathroom. “Especially when I’m hungry.”   
“Good.” A grin greeted her before being given the once over. “You look a lot better already.”   
“I feel better already. Whatever that painkiller was, it did help a lot.” Kathryn half looked up as she was brushing her hair. “And so did the shower.”  
“I believe you’ll survive yet.” Crowe gave her a grin before turning to her bags of groceries and started pulling out several items. “Pitty, I would have loved to keep your boots for myself.”   
“My boots?” The remark puzzled Kathryn for a moment before she caught on. “Ow no. I wouldn’t part with those for my life. They are way too comfortable.”   
“They are next to the door. Dried and cleaned.” Crowe chuckles. “But they do look nice though.”   
A small relief washed over her as she saw them standing the moment Crowe said where to look. It wasn’t like they had cost her a fortune or anything, but they were far more comfortable than they had any right to be. And the only reason she had chosen to wear them was because she knew it would be a thorn in the side of Dakota’s family because they weren’t the smooth designer type they would have preferred.   
  
“You need any help?” Even though Kathryn was still not fully done untangling her hair, she glanced towards Crowe. She was starting to feel like she was taking advantage of her hospitality and it was starting to gnaw at her conscience.   
“I’m all good.” The offer was easily waved away. “Just checking if it’s still hot. I’m sorry if it’s just take-away, I’m not much of a cook.”   
“Neither am I honestly. I can just manage something simple, but that’s about it.” Having won the fight against the tangles in her hair, cleaned and put away the brush, Kathryn joined Crowe in what was supposed to be her kitchen. “Smells good.”   
“Good. So, let’s eat.” She grabbed the plates and sat down on the couch.   
The thing wasn’t very pretty or new, but sitting down, Kathryn understood why she had it. It was comfortable.   
“I’ve got the feeling you are spoiling me.” With a smile, she accepted the plate before her gaze travelled a bit better around the room.   
The place was marked with bits and bobs, but nothing too big. They all seemed reminders of something, but Kathryn couldn’t make out what. There was a shelf with some books, the spines unreadable from where she sat, next to an old television and a small living table. It wasn’t much, but it was apparently enough.  
“So, how did you end up soaking wet in the rain?” Crowe popped the question, pulling her guest’s attention back to her.   
“I…” For a moment, she paused. This wasn’t really the subject she wanted to talk about with a stranger, no matter what they had done for her.   
  
Thinking, she turned her fork around in her food. Waking up this morning hadn’t been easy, but the pain seemed to have been a little bit more bearable. Kathryn knew it would never fully go away, but at the same time she knew she had to give it a place and move on with her life. Staying at home and sobbing all day wouldn’t make the clock turn back.   
“I was at a funeral.” It also explained the monochromatic black outfit she had worn.  
“I’m sorry.” Crowe sounded genuinely sorry for her. “Someone close?”   
There was a soft nod as she bit back the tears that threatened again. “My brother and my best friend.”   
A hand fell on her shoulder and when she looked up, Crowe gave her a soft but sad smile. “I won’t say that it will ever go over, but it will get better, even if only a little bit.”   
“I don’t really see how. They were the last people I had left in my life that gave a damn.”   
“You will, in time. You’re not the only one who has lost people they care about.”   
Kathryn didn’t respond out of fear she might say something she didn’t mean. Instead, she placed her half-empty plate on the table and slowly started to rise.  
“Look Crowe, thank you for looking after me, but I think I should start to get home.” Even if nobody was waiting there. At least she should notify her boss that she wasn’t death yet or something. “I’ll find a way to repay you, I promise.”   
Crowe didn’t say a thing as she went to pull on her boots and grab the items that had been in her pockets before grabbing her coat. This wasn’t the goodbye she had wanted to say, but the tears were already stinging behind her eyes, she was afraid they would spill before too long and she wanted to avoid the humiliation of breaking down again.  
As she grabbed her coat, she heard movement behind her and half turned to see Crowe standing, a serious look on her face.   
“Kathryn, before you go. Where do you live?” She folder her arms across her chest, face calm and collected, but underneath there was something else.  
A little confused, Kathryn gave Crowe her home address only to be met with a slight frown.  
“I think you might find it difficult to get home.”  
“Why?” Confusion crossed her features, turning fully to face her host.  
“That place you named, it’s not on any known map. It doesn’t exist.”   
“Well, if it doesn’t exist, according to you, then where am I?” Kathryn fell anger bubble up despite the confusion that was clearly present. No doubt this was some sort of candid camera show and she was the unknowing victim.  
However, when Crowe responded, she knew it wasn’t. The tone was far too serious, far too certain to be a joke and she felt the world shift under her feet.   
  
“You’re in Lucis’ capital, Insomnia.”  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, very long time... I know, but I've been trying to get my head around all the different versions of this story I had so far and I gave me a headache and I pushed the project aside.   
But I'm back and still determined to finish it. It will need some time to get back on track, but I promise it will get there, no matter how long it takes me.   
For now, I hope you guys will forgive me for the long absence. 
> 
> Reactions/Suggestions/Comments/Kudo's are all very welcome.   
And if you see typo's or anything, don't hesitate to point those out.


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